Real life documentary - Being Terri

[Rhubarb]

Did anyone else see this last night? I'm not normally an emotional person, but I cried buckets at this! That little girl and her dad are truly remarkable people! But I feel so sad about her future and the problems she will have to face, the way people stared at her in the supermarket set off my first bout of weeping. Then going in to the surgery and crying because she didn't want to, that set off another! The poor thing will have to endure surgery all her life, and what will children say when she gets older? How will she cope? And how is her mum coping? Does she ever wonder about her daughter? The whole story was so tragic and yet so movingly done, so brave and inspiring. You can't help but put your child into that situation, and I have to admit I looked at dd's little face with renewed love this morning. I don't know how I would cope being unable to watch her features develop, not knowing what colour hair she would have had, not getting admiring comments from people. Her dad deserves a medal for all he has done. I don't know if I'll ever get over that programme!

Rhubarb, I was thinking of starting a thread about Terri too. I agree with everything you said, both her and her dad were truly remarkable. Life is not going to be easy at all for her, but hopefully she will continue getting wonderful support as she gets older. I must admit to wondering how her mum is dealing with it. At first I was horrified and so angry at her for disappearing, but I'm sure she is suffering so much with guilt etc. I just wish she felt she could go back and be with her daughter (if Terri and Dad wanted her now of course). And I just had to sneak into dd's bedroom after the programme last night to give her an extra (but very gentle!) cuddle.

Yeah, I wished her mum could see what a beautiful daughter she had. I was hoping they might have a few footnotes after the programme, like they sometimes do, giving an update on what has happened since filming. I thought maybe her mum had a change of heart and got in touch. But then I wonder how her dad would feel if she did?

I only saw a bit of it, it upset me too. What shit has that amazing girl got to go through in her life - agree that her dad was wonderful. Dh was unable to watch - he just went off and changed the batteries in our smoke alarms. How old is Terri? - I missed that bit.

I think she was six at the end of the programme, but the fire happened when she was two.

Terri and her Dad were guests on This morning yesterday and I was utter amazed at her. She was happily chatting to Fern and Phillip, much braver than any other 6 yr old I've seen on there with them.
I missed the programme last night and I have to say I don't think I could have watched it anyway. I read an article in a magazine about her recently and it bought tears to my eyes, so I'm sure the programme would have reduced me to a quivering wreck.

I actually read about this story a while back(in a National newspaper I think) and managed to watch for quite a while-that family were amazing,I just don't think I can even begin to imagine their life and WORDS that I could use to express my feelings.
Having a dd with cp it really makes you grateful for lifes little miracles-God Bless them and Good luck to them all.
I think Terri started school in Sept 2001

I wish I'd seen this. My cousin's wife underwent the same sort of ordeal as a 5yo - in a tent which caught fire and then collapsed burning on top of her.

Her face has been re-built as much as possible - in the Simon Weston type of way. Her body has scars on and her legs. She has, I think, no fingers or thumbs on one hand - I think she wears her wedding ring on her right hand but can't really rememeber. She's just H to me now.

She is a very intelligent woman, very determined and a great wife and mother with a good career too. She is muscially talented and very good at sketching and drawing. She and my cousin have two children. They met when they were at uni and she went to buy a new computer from my uncle's shop.

I'm rambling now but wanted to say she was in and out of hospital for a great deal of her childhood until finally in her teens she called a halt to the operations, being fed up of skin grafts and plastic surgery.

she was alovely little girl wasnt she, so brave. I missed alot of it and didnt realise her mum wasnt seeing her anymore. Maybe if she saw the program it may give her the confidence to build a relationship with her daughter.

I didn't see this but children are amazing. Someone I know has been raising money for operations here in Jakarta. The last venture was for surgery for a little girl who had one eye and ear eaten away and a hole gnawed in her skull by rats, when she was abandoned as a newborn. She now has a glass eye which she takes out and throws at other children if they annoy her!! The latest fundraiser is for a small boy with part of his brain protruding through his face, almost like an elephant trunk. Most ops are for cleft lip/palate, of which there are many. There's no NHS here, so children either have to live (or die) with their deformity or hope to be rescued by a charity. It's heartbreaking.

I didn't see this, but I know of a wonderful charity called changing faces, which helps people with facial disfigurements cope going forward. Provides wonderful support - set up by a complete saint called James Partridge whose face was almost destroyed when the petrol tank of a land rover he was driving blew up. They used to be located under the driving seat. Anyway, I'm sure Sue W that your cousin's wife knows about the charity and their work (and it may even have been involved in that programme) but if any of you ever come across it, do give generously - they do fantastic work.

btw www.changingfaces.co.uk if anyone wants to take a look.

Just to let you know that there is a Trust Fund set up for Terri and they are currently looking for swimmers to take part in a nationwide swimming event to raise funds for her. If you can't swim, like me, perhaps you know people who can or would simply like to donate. The guy to speak to is Robert Mather and you can contact him on 020 7371 8744 or check out the thread in Other Subjects/Little girl with 90% burns.... to find out more.

It's a very worthwhile cause as this poor little girl will need operations for the rest of her life. If you were as moved as I was watching this docu, you'll want to do something to help I'm sure.